W.I.T.C.H. is a fantasy/superhero comic series created in Italy by Elisabetta Gnone. It tells the story of five teenage girls who are chosen to be the new Guardians of Kandrakar, who protect the center of the universe from people and creatures who wish to cause harm to it. For this purpose, they have been given powers over the five elements.The title W.I.T.C.H. is an abbreviation of the first letters of the main characters' names: Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin.W.I.T.C.H. was originally published in Italy, and is currently being published in over fifty countries and translated into over twenty different languages around the world.For unknown reasons, the comic was never published in Japan, and instead a manga based on the comic, with art by Haruko Iida (飯田晴子, Iida Haruko?), was published by Kadokawa Publishing (角川書店, Kadokawa Shoten?) in their monthly magazine Asuka Monthly (月刊あすか, Gekkan Asuka?) and later collected in two Tankoban volumes, upon which the comic was canceled. The paperback volumes had covers by Daisuke Ehara (江原大介, Ehara Daisuke?).In the beginning, America only had chapter books which were also adapted from the comic. In 2005, graphic novels (containing two issues each) began being released with only a bit of nudity censored. The graphic novels are released about every two months, and at the beginning and end of every story there is a pin-up or miniature poster.Lene Kaaberbøl has written nine books taking place in the W.I.T.C.H. universe, published 2002-2003.